Egyptian farmer's chance find leads to two colossal statues of Ramses II hidden for 3,000 years

A farmer in Behbeit el-Hagar, a Nile Delta village roughly 60 miles north of Cairo, spotted an inscribed stone block in his field and alerted authorities, triggering a rescue excavation that unearthed two enormous royal statues buried since the age of the pharaohs. Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities confirmed one statue depicts Ramses II, while the second is also believed to represent the same king. A pink granite block bearing hieroglyphic royal titles was recovered alongside the figures. Officials praised the farmer for his swift action in protecting the find.

The most spectacular piece is a 5ft 3in stone head of Ramses II wearing the double crown of unified Egypt.

Archaeologists estimate the complete statue once stood roughly 28 feet tall including its base — taller than a three-storey building.

A hieroglyphic inscription names the pharaoh 'Son of Ra', and the second statue's face remains remarkably well preserved despite its 3,000-year burial.